Hymenopappus mexicanus

Perennials, 20-90 cm. Leaves: basal simple or 1-pinnate, 6-20 cm, lobes 5-15+ × 1-9 mm; cauline 0 or 3-6. Heads 1-8(-20+) per stem. Peduncles 1-10 cm. Phyl-laries yellowish to whitish or red-tinged, 6-9 × 2-3 mm. Ray florets 0. Disc florets 20-40; corollas yellow, 3-4.5 mm, tubes 2-2.5 mm, throats campanulate, 1-1.5 mm, lengths 3-4 times lobes. Cypselae 4-6 mm, glabrous or sparsely hirtellous; pappi of 12-20 scales 0.1-0.4 mm. 2n = 34.

Flowering Jun-Oct. Openings in pine, spruce, and aspen woodlands; 2100-3000 m; Ariz., N.Mex.; Mexico.

FNA 2006, Kearney and Peebles 1969

Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Herbaceous perennials, to 90 cm tall, erect and ascending, herbage tomentose, arising from a basal rosette. Leaves: Alternate, oblanceolate and obovate or once pinnatifid with somewhat broad lobes, these 2-6 mm wide, cauline leaves few, reduced, basal leaves in a rosette, entire and pinnatifid. Flowers: Heads discoid, relatively large, disk flowers yellow, 20-40; corollas 3-4.5 mm, tubes 2-2.5 mm, throats campanulate, 1-1.5 mm, lengths 3-4 times lobes, phyllaries yellowish to whitish or red-tinged, 6-9 mm long and 2-3 mm wide, heads 1-8 or more per stem. Fruits: Achenes 4-angled, 4-6 mm, glabrous or sparsely hirtellous. Pappus obsolete, of 12-20 scales, these to 0.5 mm long. Ecology: Found in open areas in coniferous forests, spruce, and aspen woodlands, from 5,000-10,000 ft (1524-3048 m); flowering June-September. Distribution: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas; Mexico. Notes: Good indicators for this species are the minute pappi, basal rosette of entire and pinnatifid leaves, and the somewhat large heads. Ethnobotany: There is no specific use of the species recorded, but the genus was used to make tea. Etymology: Hymenopappus comes from Greek hymen for membrane and pappos for pappus, for the chafflike scales, while mexicanus means of or from Mexico. Synonyms: None Editor: LCrumbacher 2011